Why offline games still matter

Everyone assumes we're always connected, but real life disagrees. Basements, tunnels, planes, rural roads, a full data plan on the last day of the month — there are plenty of moments when a game either works or it doesn't.

Offline games also tend to respect you more. Without a live server behind them, they can't nag you to log in daily or interrupt a session to phone home. What you install is what you get.

There's a performance bonus too. Games built to run locally usually feel snappier because they aren't waiting on a network round trip for every action. You notice it most in fast genres like racing and arcade.

When we test, airplane mode is the first thing we switch on. If a game complains, that's a strike against it before we even start playing.